Temperature fluctuations in styrofoam incub - should I bother setting?

[AmyLynn2374]

Last year I hatched in a LG forced air and had temps that varied in the range you are describing and I had 8 of 9 of my local eggs hatch. No sickly chicks, in fact I did not lose any or have any problems with them at all. They were very robust, sturdy chicks.

Most of them time when I tried to make small adjustments to it, I ended up doing more harm then good. Once it was settled, I found the best thing was to leave it alone so even if it varried a bit, it would still settle back into the range it was supposed to be. Trying to make small adjustments with those things is frustrating at best.

That's for sure. Especially with the older models. One little tap up or down and can send it off the map!

 

[fatcatx]

Last year I hatched in a LG forced air and had temps that varied in the range you are describing and I had 8 of 9 of my local eggs hatch. No sickly chicks, in fact I did not lose any or have any problems with them at all. They were very robust, sturdy chicks.

Most of them time when I tried to make small adjustments to it, I ended up doing more harm then good. Once it was settled, I found the best thing was to leave it alone so even if it varried a bit, it would still settle back into the range it was supposed to be. Trying to make small adjustments with those things is frustrating at best.

Thank you! - mine is not a forced air but I feel better knowing you got healthy chicks.

I guess DH was right - I'm a little paranoid! I will go with the setting that gave me the 99-102 range and try some methods AmyLynn suggested to keep my nighttime temps up. I'm feeling a lot better about the whole thing!

Thank you Thank you to everyone that chimed in! My Cream Legbars and Wheaten Americauanas will be going in soon!

 

[mortie]

I know yours is still air but I just wanted to mention that mine was forced air so while they're not exactly directly comparable...they're still similar.

I'd give it a shot and try to keep your mits off the thermostat if at all possible.

 

[fatcatx]

I know yours is still air but I just wanted to mention that mine was forced air so while they're not exactly directly comparable...they're still similar.

I'd give it a shot and try to keep your mits off the thermostat if at all possible.

I wish I could leave it alone - would make life so much easier! I've got things fine tuned a little better but no matter how I nudge the knob (I'm practically blowing on it!) I end up low at about 101 or high at 102.6-ish.

So wondering - will I do more potential damage by leaving it high constantly or by bobbling between the two temps? I figure with the bobbling it is at least at the ideal temperature most of the time? (I am SO getting myself a fan for next time! At least I won't have to worry about hot/cold spots!)

Candled yesterday and Legbars seem to be doing good! Americaunas all turned out to be infertile except one.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Have you put a milk cap onto the adjustment knob to get finer tuned adjustment? Drill a hole through center of cap so it fits over that little stick of a knob and glue it in place. That larger area of milk cap will make small nudge adjustments much easier.

Small temp swings are not bad at all. My Hova-bator has almost a three degree swing with two dozen eggs in it. The average temp is what's important. I don't use the bottom water channels rather a shot glass or cup of water to get my desired humidity. With that and being at same level as the eggs it will tell you what the internal temp of eggs are. By using an oral thermometer from your medicine cabinet you'll accurately obtain 99.5 F which is your projected internal egg temp. Still airs should have temp of 101-102 measured at top of eggs, with that the internal of egg will be 99.5. If your double shot glass is same level as the eggs then the water will be the same as the internal egg temperature.

 

[fatcatx]

Have you put a milk cap onto the adjustment knob to get finer tuned adjustment? Drill a hole through center of cap so it fits over that little stick of a knob and glue it in place. That larger area of milk cap will make small nudge adjustments much easier.

Great ideas! I will see if this helps with temp adjustments. (DH will do his part and drink a beer to donate cap.)
I will try the shot glass as well as I can't resist an experiment.

I am measuring near the center of the incubator at the top of the eggs with a Thermapen so I know I am getting a near perfect temperature reading. (Side note: LOVE my Thermapen. Makes great steaks and chicks alike!

) In other spots like the corners it reads lower so I am moving the eggs around when I turn so they all have time near the center. I have calibrated thermometers at the bottom of the eggs too. Is 95 the desired temp at the bottom when the top is at 102? I read that in another thread but cannot find a confirmation.

 

[lazy gardener]

One thing you can do to help with your overnight temp drops is to wrap it in a heavy blanket when evening approaches. I have wood heat, and resort to snuggling up the bator, then pulling the wraps back to help =ize the temps before resorting to touching that pesky thermostat in my home made bator. A fan is not the solution it's presented as. I still have plenty of temp variation in mine even with the fan. And, as PP stated, put in some thermal mass. That will help.

 

[Meaola]

I also started wrapping mine in a blanket...one other thing I did was put small bubble wrap on top but not over the vent holes. Both things seemed to have helped to stabalize them. I have one with forced air and one still air and I think I like the still air better ( both LG 9300) The forced air has fluctuations inside and seems to get too warm under the heating unit sometimes. The thermostats are junk and my still air is set at 104 to keep it around 100...the one with the fan heater is set at 101.6 for the same. But, I did notice after wrapping the incubator that even the temp in the still air is more equalized throughout the bator.

 

[fatcatx]

I am using a blanket on cooler nights (we have big temp fluctuations day to day this time of year) and thermal mass which has helped since I started a week ago. Today when I got home the temp was 101.7. *woop* If that holds through the evening I will resist the urge to fiddle and just wrap it for the night.

So opinions: when it drops to 101.0 should I fiddle or just leave it alone?

 

[WalnutHill]

Great ideas! I will see if this helps with temp adjustments. (DH will do his part and drink a beer to donate cap.)
I will try the shot glass as well as I can't resist an experiment.

I am measuring near the center of the incubator at the top of the eggs with a Thermapen so I know I am getting a near perfect temperature reading. (Side note: LOVE my Thermapen. Makes great steaks and chicks alike!

) In other spots like the corners it reads lower so I am moving the eggs around when I turn so they all have time near the center. I have calibrated thermometers at the bottom of the eggs too. Is 95 the desired temp at the bottom when the top is at 102? I read that in another thread but cannot find a confirmation.

You don't measure at the bottom, only at the top.

Here is a really nice guide from University of Illinois on operation of a still air incubator. I believe the model referenced is an older Hovabator (wafer) but a solid state control should be set up in a similar manner.

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/eggs/res19-opincubator.html